The role of IQ scores in Dutch healthcare policy for individuals with intellectual disabilities: reflections from clinical practice

This is the authors' abstract. We don't add key points for this paper.

For various people in the Netherlands, it is possible to receive long-term care, for example, if someone has an intellectual disability. In such cases, it must be demonstrated that the person meets the DSM-5-TR classification for an intellectual disability. In practice, the IQ score appears to play a major role in this process and can act as a gatekeeper to access healthcare funding. To gain more insight into how professionals in the work field perceive this policy, two consecutive studies were conducted. In Study 1, a questionnaire was administered to Dutch professionals (n = 72) who work with people with intellectual disabilities. It appears that the majority of the participants believe that the role of IQ is given too much weight when applying for long-term care for their clients. In Study 2, a focus group discussion was conducted to investigate the extent to which eligibility for long-term care on the basis of an intellectual disability can be determined with reduced reliance on, or complete omission of, IQ scores. The study sample consisted of seven participants, each employed within the intellectual disability field and with experience in applying for long-term care. Participants advocated for basing care on the individual’s support needs rather than their IQ score. The finding that care should be tailored to an individual’s support needs rather than their classification is consistent with international developments in the field of intellectual disabilities. It is recommended to focus on the current support needs of people with an intellectual disability and consulting the client in this process.